Connecting-plug.



C. L, HAGEN,

CONNEGTING PLUG.

APPLICATION FILED Mmm, 1010.

CLAUDE nnaennor NEW YORK, n. Y.

CONNECTING-PLUG.

` Specification of Letters Tatent.

Patented July 9, i912.

Application filed March 9, 1910. Serial No. 548,246.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, CLAUDE L. HAGEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, in the borough of Manhattan, county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Connecting-Plugs, of which the following is a clear, full, and y'exacty description. 4 Y

My invention relates to that class of electrical apparatus known as attachment plugs and sockets.- And the particular aim of my invention is to sodesign and construct such devices that they will Asatisfy .the conditions existing in theaters to a better eXtent than those plugs now in use. In theaters, portable electric devices such as arc lamp search lights and the like are generally provided with long conducting wires terminating in a plug; When it is desired to supply current to such device the plug and wires are carried over to iloor or wall boxes, and there inserted. lWhen it is desired to disconnect rthe device, the plug is withdrawn from the receptacle, the wires coiled up and fastened on to the device. This means loss ot time, where time is precious, during scene shitting, and at other times. lt also means ,that long lengths ot wire are often, because of carelessness ou the partot the attendants, looped in a disorganized mass upon the fixtures.

lt is the object ot -this invention to provide a plug, and-socket, so that no conduct-- ing wires need be used on the portable de.- viee, and further to provide means whereby the conducting plug trom the mains will automatically return to its position either in the floor or in the wall without efforton the part ot' the attendants. B y such an arrangement, immediately that the plug and socket are disconnected, the stage floor and the portable device will immediately be automatically cleared ot all conducting wires.

ln carrying out my invention, prefer to provide a receptacle which is adapted to tit tlush with the floor or wall, and be out of the way when not in use. AV long heavy cable ot conductors, which may be relin- Jforced by weights, is attached to the plug, and leads to an outlet or junction box trom the main'.conductors. The plug may be litted, by suitable lit'ting openings provided in its upper surface, from the plane of the floor, and carried in any direction upon the stage that may be desired, but when released, the weight of the cable will immediately pull the plug across the floor, causing it to scurry into its receiving hole therein. l prefer to attach the plug part of my plug and receptacle to the portable device, or instrument itself, although it will be obvious that the relation might be changed.

The scope of my invention will be pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure l is a sectional view of a floor showing the device of my invention in place in full lines, while the dotted lines show it as attached to a portable search light. Fig. 2 is a central sectional view with parts in side elevation, showing the details of construction of my improved plug and socket. Fig. 3 is an end 'view of FigrQ. Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4&1, Fig. 2, ot t-he interior insulating and contact plates of the receptacle. Fig. 5 is a transverse section showing part of the plug taken on the line 5mt), Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a plan view of Fig. 2. Fig. is a detail partly in section of the beveled cap, which is adapted to fit usli with the iioor. Fig. 8 is a face View of the pl ng with the cover part removed. Fig. 9 is a plan view ot the receptacle with the cap of Fig. 7 removed.

As illustrated in the drawings, particularly Fig. l, the theater Hoor or stage oor l is represented by character l. The main feed conductors 2 are shown as running heneath the stage Hoor, where they are provid-ed with a junction or outlet box 3, to which is secured a pair of conductors, preferably in a single cable l., leading to the clamping end ot the receptacle 6. Extra weight I may he secured to the cable i it desired. The receptacle 6 stated, is provided with a clamp 5 to securely grasp the conductors 4,' and for a distance below the clamp 5 au armor, preferably in the shape of a flexible spiral wire, is desired to take away the wear on the cable when the device is being seated. The body portion of the receptacle is provided with a slot through vthe same haviiuT conducting blades ot' o posite polarity to where the top of the receptacle is provided with a beveled face plate having finger. holes 8 therein so that the same may be lifted up out oft' the floor. The cover plate 9 with its beveled edges is adapted to sit in the floor in a beveled recess as shown in Fig. l.

los

The plug is composed ot a tongue 10, hav- 'covered by a screw cap- 9.

ing conducting plates 11 and 12 `on each side thereof, and is supplied with conductors 13-1-l, a cover part 15 and a back supportinglplate 16. The supporting plate is secured permanently to the portable device 17, in this instance shown as an ordinary portable arc search light,I such as is used for stage effects. The supporting back plates 1G of the plug are made preferably of insulating material, of Which the tongue 10 may well be a part. The conducting blades 11 and l2 are each secured at one bent end to the back plate 16, Where the wires 13 and lll may be attached. The plugs are adapted to have a slight springing movement away from the surface ofthe plug, for which purposes additional springs 18 may be provided Within the material of the tongue. For yarc light Work as shown in this instance, it is of course desirable and generally necessary that the polarity lbe the same at all times, for which reason I provide slots 19 not centrally in the tongue,-Which are adapted to slide over the projecting screw 2O 1n the plug to prevent the plug and receptacle ever beingl contacted, except With the same polarity.

I prefer to provide a cover part'l of insulating material having projecting pins 22 to cause the receptacle at all times to stand Well away from the front of the face to 'enable one .to quickly grasp the same and make a rapid disconnection.;

The receptacle is; preferably formed lof three metal parts: the clamping end 5 for the cable, Which is composed of two scmicircular halves bolted together by screws or bolts 23, is adapted to grasp the cable tightly due to a reduced bore of the clamping parts, and at the lower end of the clamping parts to embrace and hold one end 24 of the spiralr arm 25; a flange 26 on the end 5 fits Within a metal cylindrical shell 27, which shell is interiorly threaded .at its upper rim, and

1Within the cylindrical shell 27 I provide the insulating parts of Fig. 4lof the drawings, cylindrically in shape, and'provided with a vertical passage 29 for the passage of one of the conducting wires 30 of the cable, Iwhich conducting wire is attached to a plate 31 having one, end bent, and lying at the topof the slotted receptacle opening A similar contact plate 33 is located at the bottom of said plate, and is attached to the conductor Self. ,To keep the cylindrical shell from rotating, l attach a plate 36 to the side thereof, and insert the screw 20 before described into such plate. lf the device is for use with arc light, I let the screw 20 be of sufficient length to engage the slots 19 of the tongue. lf for incandescent work, l use a shorter screw which will not project beyond the face of the cylinder, thus permitting the device to be fastened in any position to the tongue,

ln carrying out this invention, details of construction may be varied from -those shown, and yet the essence of the invention be retained; sonic parts might be en'iployed without others, and nrw features thereof might be combined with elements old in the art in diverse Ways, although/the herein described type is regarded as embodying substantial improvements over such modifications.

As many changes could be made in the above construction, and many apparently widely different embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof', it is intended that all matter contained in above description or shown `in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted in an illustrative and not in a limiting sense. lt is fnrthern'iore desired to loe understood that the language used in the following claims is intended to cover clamp, armor extending below the clamp and surrounding the cable, an I opening through the sides of the cylindrical casing, contact plates within the casing, suitable insulating blocks therefor, a beveled cap and 10o means permitting the grasp of the saule from. the top surface, the plug having contacts adapted to enter the hole in the receptacle'to engage the contacts of thereceptacle.

2. A receptacle and a plug, the receptacle having a cylindrical casing, a clamp at one end thereof, a cable tightly gripped by the clamp, an opening through the sides of the cylindrical casing, contact'plates Within the casing, suitable insulating blocks therefor-,a beveled cap and means permitting the grasp of the same from the top surface, the plug having contacts adapted to enter the hole in the receptacle to engage the contacts of the receptacle, an otl'-ccnter guiding device in the cylinder and a corresponding guiding device on the plug adapted to insure at all times the same polarity of contact.

3. A receptacleyand a plug, the receptacle having a cylindrical casing, a clamp at one end thereof, a cable tightly gripped by the clamp, an arm extending below the clamp by and surrounding the cable, an opening through the sides of the cylindrical casing, contact plates within the casing, suitable insulating blocks therefor, a beveled cap and means permitting the grasp of the same from the top surface, the plug having contacts adapt-ed to enter the hole in the recepv130 lac-le to engage the contacts of the receptacle, Said plug having u removable Cap with projecting :Lbni'ments of insulation against which the Cylindrical casing may rest.

4. The herein described attachment revelflnole comprising Contact blades within :L chamber locnted in the interior of the receptaele and open lo the side thereof, Conductors leading to the end of the receptacle sind connected with the Contact blades, in

combination with a pocket in the floor or wall in which mid attachment receptacle is adapted to be seated, whereby the chamber for he Contact blades is closed by the Wall of said pocket.

Signed nl New York city this 8th day of March 1910.

CLAUDE L. HAGEN. Witnesses F. VARRHN vWRTGH'Iq Minnen DLTrnNHonFnu. 

